


Gavin's Christmas Carol

by rk_deviant_800



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: A Christmas Carol but it's DBH, Angst, Fluff, Gavin Reed but he's not too much of a dick, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Reedemption kinda, Referenced Drug Use, Temporary Character Death, talk of death, talk of depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 16:51:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16790899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rk_deviant_800/pseuds/rk_deviant_800
Summary: You know that story with Charles Dickens? Let's make it DBH style!





	Gavin's Christmas Carol

Gavin grumbled as he tried to ignore the bright Christmas decorations all over the precinct while cheerful holiday music softly poured out of the speakers. He hated it. He just wanted to get home, drink until he blacked out, and sleep until after New Year’s. It wasn’t helping that Connor was happily singing along to every damn song that came on. Ever since the music started playing at who-fucking-knows o’clock, Connor hadn’t stop singing. Gavin couldn’t take it anymore and grabbed the nearest object to him, the stapler on his desk, and threw it. At that same moment, Hank walked by with a mug of hot chocolate. The lieutenant managed to catch the stapler, saving Connor from getting hit.

“Watch it, Reed!” he warned, setting the mug on the android’s desk.

“Fuck you, Anderson. Tell your plastic toy to shut the hell up.” Gavin shot back.

“Lay off! He does whatever he fucking wants.” Hank answered back, stalking over to Gavin’s desk and returning the stapler.

“Bitch.”

“Asshole.”

Gavin huffed and pulled out his headphones. He pulled them over his ears and turned up his music until it blocked out the android’s singing. An hour passed before he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Turning down his music and wrapping his headphones around his neck, he looked up to the source of the tapping. Then he groaned internally as he caught the smile and matching doe eyes.

“What do you want, tin can?” he grumbled.

“I’m sorry for disturbing you, Detective Reed. I just wanted to ask if I should bring anything to the office party this weekend. I’ve never been to one before.” Connor answer, the stupidly adorable smile on his face growing a little.

“Why the hell are you asking me? I don’t give a shit about that party. ‘Sides, I’m not going.”

The smile quickly changed into a tiny frown.

“Oh. Why not?”

“Because I don’t fucking want to.”

“But it’s Christmas. You get to- “

“I know, and I don’t care. Christmas is shit. Now, fuck off.”

“Ok then. Sorry I bothered you, Detective Reed.”

Fuck. Why did the android’s voice sound so sad when he said that? Ignoring the slight guilt, he slipped his headphones over his ears and turned up his music again before going back to work. After what felt like forever, work was over much to Gavin’s relief. Wasting no time, he quickly submitted his last paperwork and clocked out. It was a silent drive home for him as he had to leave the radio off, so he wouldn’t have to listen to shitty Christmas music the whole way. Once he arrived home, he fed the cats and had a dinner then drank himself into a blackout.

Later that evening, a heavy thump echoed in the room.

“Ow. Fucking hell, why does he have such a shitty apartment?”

Gavin stirred from his sleep. He blearily opened his eyes and nearly screamed at the glowing form of Fowler in front of him as he sat up.

“What the hell?! Why the hell are you in my room, Fowler?!”

“Shut the fuck up and listen to me. You’re gonna get some visitors in a bit so be ready.”

“…Please tell me I’m still drunk.” was all Gavin could say.

The spirit rolled his eyes.

“Just trust me, Reed. If you actually gave a fuck you might even learn something.” he replied before disappearing.

“Ok, what the actual…Screw it, I think drank too much.” Gavin muttered to the now empty room.

He yawned softly and settled back onto the couch he passed out on then fell asleep again. Another hour passed before one of the visitors that spirit Fowler mentioned appeared. This spirit was in casual clothing save for the police hat resting on his head. He quietly tiptoed to the couch and stopped in front of the detective’s sleeping form. With a tiny smile, he knelt down and gave him a gentle nudge.

“Gavin?”

“Mmmrgh.”

“Gavin. Wake up.”

Gavin opened his eyes again and almost fell off the couch.

“Chris? What the fuck?!”

“Oh, I’m not Chris! I look like him though.” the spirit answered.

“Let me guess, you’re one of the visitors?” Gavin shot back, an eyebrow raised.

Spirit Chris nodded happily.

“I’m the spirt of Christmas past!” he exclaimed.

“Like from the story?” Gavin asked.

“Yep!”

Gavin sighed and ran hand over his face.

“Ok, I’m definitely still shitfaced.” he muttered.

“Oh no, I’m real!” Chris answered again.

Then he stood up and waved his hand, making a sky-blue portal open in the middle of the living room. Without warning, he then pulled Gavin up from the couch and began leading him to said portal with an excited grin.

“Woah, woah, I’m not going in there.” Gavin protested, trying to tug his wrist out of Chris’s iron grip.

“Aw, don’t be such a big baby. You have to see this!” Chris replied, continuing to pull Gavin towards the portal.

Gavin just sighed and let himself be dragged in. After a moment of floating through what looked like an endless tunnel, the two found themselves standing outside a tall mansion in the snow. Gavin looked up at said mansion and winced. There was no way they were back here again. Everything was the same as he had remembered it. The roof was covered in over-the-top decorations and lights. The snowman that he and Elijah had made was half melted and destroyed in their front yard. An empty decrepit doghouse sat behind it. Then he heard the sound of a car door being slammed shut. Hard.

“Shit.”

“Oh, don’t worry. He can’t see or hear us. Come on!” Chris replied, reading his mind.

“Wai- “

Before Gavin could protest, he was tugged through the wall and into the empty living room. The younger version of himself looked up from the shattered tv. A tiny gasp echoed in the dark room as the little boy ran upstairs. Gavin said nothing and let Chris drag him upstairs to follow. They walked down a long hall and into a room that was all too familiar to Gavin.

“Ellie, he’s coming! Hide it!” his younger version called out in a soft voice as he closed the door.

Elijah Kamski or rather the younger version of himself, looked up from the presents he was wrapping and quickly picked them up. He ran over to the closet, threw the door open, and shoved the presents in a secret compartment that he and Gavin had found several months ago. He then quickly closed it again and moved a few things around, covering the small door. Finally, he closed the closet and joined his brother on the bed. Together they braced themselves as their father’s stomping grew louder and louder. Finally, the bedroom door flew open, nearly coming off of its hinges as their father came in. The sound sent chills down Gavin’s spine as he watched the scene play like a vivid memory.

“Did you little shits do anything while I was gone?” he asked, voice dripping with drunken anger.

“N-No, sir.” Elijah answered for them.

“Lazy as usual. I’m going to eat dinner and once I’m done, I want those dishes spotless, Elijah. You hear me?”

Elijah nodded and then his father’s eyes moved to the younger brother.

“And as for you, runt. Get me a drink from the basement. Oh, and for fuck’s sake turn off those goddamn decorations. I don’t care if your mother loved them. We’re not celebrating anything.”

Young Gavin nodded and watched as father left. Spirit Chris gasped softly.

“Oh. I’m sorry I made you see this. I see why you hate Christmas.”

“Whatever. Besides, there’s more to this. It’s a shitty past, I know, but it’s about to get shittier.”

Chris nodded and let the scene play on. The two silently watched as the brothers separated to do their own jobs. Dinner was finished, and the dishes were done while young Gavin had returned from turning off the decorations. The brothers then walked back up to their room as the spirits followed.

“I can’t believe he made me turn off mom’s decorations.” Young Gavin huffed as he plopped on the bed.

“At least he didn’t check the closet again.” Elijah replied with a wink.

And with that, Elijah returned to wrapping the presents a minute later. Once they were done, both Elijah and Gavin bundled up and waited for midnight to arrive. Current Gavin watched as his younger version laughed and joked with Elijah. A small fond smile crept onto his face and he never realized it.

“Aww, how sweet!” Chris whispered in delight.

“Yeah. I guess.” Gavin muttered.

The two then fell silent again and continued to watch and listen until midnight finally came. Elijah grabbed the presents and motioned for young Gavin to follow. Wordlessly, they followed the brothers out of the room and down the hall, past their father’s room, down the stairs, and quietly out the front of the door.

“Oh?” came Chris’s voice.

“Shh. Just watch.” Gavin mumbled.

The sound of snow crunching and laughter filled the air as the two brothers then headed for the smaller mansion down the hill. Young Gavin then knocked on the door. The door immediately swung open and out came a young Tina Chen.

“Eli! Gav! You made it!” she exclaimed, pulling them into a hug.

Instinctively, current Gavin wrapped his arms around himself. Chris said nothing about it as they walked into the home behind the boys. It was much brighter and colorful in Tina’s home. The air was filled with holiday music and laughter. There were sparkling decorations everywhere and a big decorated Christmas tree sat in the middle of the living area.

“Ooh. This looks fun!” Chris exclaimed as he admired the ornaments on the tree.

“Was.” Gavin corrected quietly.

He said nothing more and watched as his younger self and Elijah, began talking with young Tina as they dropped the presents by the tree. The rest of the night was filled with cheer as the two spirits watched the brothers join Tina’s family for the festivities. They were in the middle of singing another Christmas carol when the sound of banging on the door cut through the air. Gavin sighed as the familiar, yet muffled yelling filtered through the air. Mrs.Chen answered the door as the brothers braced themselves.

“Take me back, Chris. I don’t want to watch this.” Gavin muttered.

“Wait, I want to see what happens.”

“I said, take me back! Now!”

Just as that left his lips, his father phased right through him and stalked over to his younger self. His father’s angry screams echoed through the home.

“Can we please go now?” Gavin muttered softly.

He shut his eyes and tried to ignore the scene before him. Chris nodded and opened another portal. When Gavin opened his eyes, they were back in his apartment. The detective said nothing as he sat back on the couch. It was silent for a moment before Chris spoke again.

“I’m sorry your past was like that. Though, I’m sure your brother misses you too.”

“Whatever. Just leave so I can sleep.”

Chris nodded and disappeared while Gavin laid back on the couch and fell asleep. Another hour passed before the next spirit came in the form of Tina. She leaned over the couch and watched Gavin sleep for a moment before deciding to wake him up.

“Wake up, bitch!” she screamed.

Gavin screamed back as he was startled awake. One of his cats scrambled into the kitchen at the sound of the screams. He looked up and squinted for a moment.

“Tina? How’d you get in my apartment? And why are you glowing?” Gavin asked, coming out of sleep again.

“Nope. I’m a Spirit, remember?” she answered.

“Right. And you’re the spirit of?”

“Christmas present! Now get off your lazy ass!”

And with that, Gavin was pulled into another portal. They came out the other end and stood in front of Elijah Kamski’s home.

“Why are we here?” Gavin asked sourly.

“What? You don’t wanna see what your brother’s up to?” Tina shot back.

Gavin just shrugged and followed Tina through the wall. The mansion was decorated beautifully. Every bobble and ornament looked expensive. Some even glowed. Once again, there was holiday music in the air and the sound of Chloe humming was mixed in it.

“Chloe, dear!” came Elijah’s voice.

Gavin rolled his eyes as the android walked right through him. He turned around and out came Elijah himself in an ugly Christmas sweater. A scowl came to Gavin’s face as his brother smiled at Chloe.

“What do you think, my dear?” the creator asked, showing off his sweater, a simple Christmas tree forest pattern.

“It looks good on you, Elijah.” Chloe answered with a smile.

“Thank you, sweetheart. Oh, I just remembered that we have some Christmas shopping to do. Have you decided on what to get for everyone?”

“Yes! Except for Gavin. I’m not exactly sure what he likes.”

Elijah tied his hair up into his signature bun and thought for a moment.

“I’m not sure either. I hardly hear from him anymore. Though, it doesn’t hurt to send another present. I know it’ll never be enough to make up for everything, but I hope he knows I’m trying.”

Those words suddenly hit Gavin full force. He suddenly regretted not opening his gifts. He had always thrown them in the closest and completely forgot about them. Surprising himself, he made a mental note to try and get something for Elijah. He watched as Elijah slipped his hand into his back pocket to pull out a small worn picture of him and Gavin when they were kids. Happy smiles were etched onto both their faces. The creator reminisced for a moment before slipping the photo away.

“He’ll come around.” Chloe replied, breaking Gavin and Elijah out of their thoughts.

“I hope so. Now, come, my dear. If we hurry, we can skip the long lines.”

Chloe nodded and smiled, looping her arm around Elijah’s as they walked out the door.

“I can’t believe he kept that damn photo.” Gavin muttered softly.

“Duh! He misses you!” Tina chimed in.

“Right. So, are we going home now?”

Tina let out a loud laugh.

“Nope! One more place!”

Gavin sighed and let himself be dragged again. He looked up to find himself and the spirit in front of Anderson’s house. Even _he_ had bright ass Christmas lights hanging from his room. Gavin assumed that Connor probably annoyed the hell out of him into putting them up.

“What does Anderson have to do with all of this?” Gavin asked, following Tina into the house. 

“I’m not sure. It’s _your_ life.” Tina answered.

Gavin just rolled as his eyes and looked around the room. Of course, it was decorated in Christmas decorations. A medium sized tree sat in the corner of the room where Sumo’s dog bed usually is. It was emanating a soft glow in the living area. The sound of a door opening then caught his attention. He looked over to see Hank sleepily walk out of his room and into Connor’s. Tina looked over at Gavin before dragging him with her again to the android’s room. They phased right through the door and caught the tail end of Hank asking why Connor was still up.

“I can’t stop thinking of what to get Gavin for Christmas.” Connor answered.

“Seriously, kid? You want to get _him_ something?” Hank shot back, yawning softly.

Gavin growled lowly and flipped him off even though he knew that Hank couldn’t see it.

“Yes! I know he didn’t treat me well when we first met, and I feel awful for what I did to him in the archives, so I’ve been trying to fix things between us but it’s…a work in progress.”

There was the regret again. He never meant to mistreat Connor. Was it his fault that every android he looked at, made him think of his brother?

“Alright, son. Reed isn’t exactly a Christmas person so good luck with that.” Hank answered before leaving the room.

“Thank you. Goodnight, Hank!”

“Night, kid.”

Connor then fell silent as he tried to think of what to get Gavin. His LED blinked between blue and yellow. It was silent for moment.

“I know what to get him now!” he exclaimed to no one, a smile on his face.

Then the smile quickly changed into a frown.

“Or maybe I shouldn’t. He isn’t coming to the party after all. Should I get him something anyway?” he muttered to himself.

And there’s the guilt again in Gavin’s chest.

“Oh, why is he so complicated? Why is he the one you had to fall for, Connor?” he asked himself, as he flopped over on his bed.

Did Gavin hear that right? Connor was falling for him?

“Ooh, looks like someone has the hots for you.” Tina teased, nudging him out of his thoughts.

“Shut the hell up and get me out of here.” Gavin replied, a light blush now on his cheeks as he made two more mental notes about getting something for Hank and Connor.

Tina laughed and sent him back to his apartment where he woke up to an empty living area. With a sigh, he went back to sleep again as he muttered something about Connor being an annoying cute little shit. Another hour ticked by before the last spirit appeared in the form of Officer Ben Collins. He leaned down in front of the couch and poked Gavin’s nose.

“Gavin?”

Poke.

“Stop that, Meatloaf.”

Ben chuckled.

“Guess again.” Ben answered, poking his face again.

Gavin yawned and opened his eyes.

“Gah! The fuck, Ben?!”

Ben smiled and pulled him to his feet.

“Ready?”

“Sure. Whatever. Where to?”

“The future!” he exclaimed.

Before Gavin could even ask, he was whisked away to several years ahead of time. When he and Spirit Miller stepped out of the portal, they landed back in front of his apartment or rather what was left of it.

“What the hell? Where’s my apartment?!” Gavin exclaimed as he looked at the rubble.

“They tore it down after you got kicked out for being late on rent several times.” Ben answered.

“What? I’ve never missed rent!”

“You started to, right after you quit.”

“What?”

“Come on, Gavin. There’s much to see.”

Gavin said nothing more and followed Ben as they flew over the city. They finally landed in front of Kamski’s house. This time, there were no decorations up. When two spirits phased indoors, the living area had no decorations either and the house was cold and quiet. Chloe wasn’t humming either as she stepped out of the kitchen carrying a tray of food. The spirits remained silent and followed her all the way to Kamski’s room. She then opened the door, revealing an old Kamski sitting up in bed hooked up to several machines. His skin was almost as white as the snow outside.

“Elijah? I’ve brought your dinner.” The RT600 called softly.

Gavin, still speechless, watched as the creator weakly turned his head to face the android. His arms and hands moved shakily as he signed a ‘thank you’ to her.

“You’re welcome, Elijah.”

Chloe smiled at him then prepared the small table used for those who wanted to have breakfast in bed. The tray of food was then set on the small table. Finally, she began to feed Elijah.

“What happened to him?” Gavin asked, mildly concerned.

“He’s dying of cancer. Because you never tried to talk to him or even visit him, he fell back into his depression and forgot about his health. Chloe tried her best to cheer him up, but it did nothing. Soon his health deteriorated until he was diagnosed with cancer. He’s been bedridden since.” Miller answered, a tone of sadness heavy in his voice.

“Shit…”

Gavin continued to watch as Chloe finished feeding him and left the room. She returned a minute later and cleaned up the small table before putting it away. The sickly man then signed something, and Chloe nodded in response. A second later the room filled with her soft humming. Gavin immediately recognized the song. It was the same lullaby their mother sang to them when they couldn’t sleep or when they had bad dreams. Her sweet voice would calm them down and lull them into a peaceful sleep. Chloe’s voice almost matched hers, but it will never sound like the real deal. Suddenly feeling bad, he found himself moving to sit at his at the foot of his bed. He surprised himself once more when he began to hum along with Chloe. His voice harmonized perfectly with hers. Ben said nothing about it as he stood back and watched. As the humming continued to echo in the room, Elijah silently closed his eyes. Chloe’s soft hand found its way into his rough one. Gavin looked at them for a moment before reaching out and placing his hand on top of hers, though the other two weren’t going to feel it. And as the humming subsided, the sound of a flatline that Gavin was all too familiar with filled the quiet spice.

“Ellie?” Gavin called softly, the nickname foreign and surprising on his tongue.

Nothing.

“I’m so sorry, Elijah.” came Chloe’s brokenhearted voice.

Gavin could only watch as she threw herself onto him and cried. The guilt he’d been fighting off came back full force again. He had been in her position when their mother died. He and Elijah hummed to her until she flatlined. He didn’t bother to look when he felt Ben’s hand on his shoulder.

“He tried, you know. He kept sending you gifts and letters but eventually he just gave up. He stopped caring. He stopped celebrating and left Cyberlife again, letting the business fall to the ground.” Ben said quietly.

“He only celebrated because of…me?” Gavin mumbled, feeling wetness on his cheeks.

He hadn’t realized he was crying.

“Yes. He celebrated Christmas in hopes that you’d come over for the holidays or even give him a call.”

Gavin wiped away his tears, feeling even more guilty as Chloe continued to mourn. The hand on his shoulder gave him a gentle squeeze.

“What about me? Future me, I mean.” Gavin asked, his voice even quieter and strained.

“Are you sure you want to see that?” Ben asked as the detective stood up from the bed.

Gavin nodded, and the spirit whisked him away. A minute late found them at a graveyard. They walked quietly for a moment then stopped midway in front of a slab of rock engraved with the detective’s name.

_Here lies Gavin Reed_

_Son, Brother, Detective_

_October 7, 2002- December 23, 2050_

Gavin felt a little disoriented to see his own gravestone. He knew he was going to die eventually but still, it was weird seeing himself dead before he even experienced it.

“How did I…” he began to ask but stopped as the question stuck in his throat.

“You fell back into your depression too. Because you made no effort to accept Connor or his people, he gave up on you too as well as Hank. After Hank retired Connor followed him, so he could stay and care for him. Meanwhile, you stayed at your job for another few more years until you lost both Chris and Tina to a crazed android. The android was stressed, and your yelling made things worse. When Tina and Chris tried to intervene, the android shot them. You blamed him and quit your job because you couldn’t handle losing another partner. That’s when you got depressed. You started drinking more and eventually turned to red ice. You wasted your money getting ice wherever and whenever to the point where you went broke and got kicked out. Then finally, in the middle of a red ice haze, you took your own life by OD. You were found dead two days later by Connor, ironically. He was the only who showed up to your funeral.” Ben answered, the sad tone heavier than before.

“…I…Is there a way for me to change all of this? Am I…shit…”

“That’s up to you, Gavin. You can keep going down the path that leads to this or you can make a new one.”

“…You mentioned Connor. Can…we go see him? I-Is he still alive? N-Not that I care about that stupid fucking prick.” Gavin mumbled, his cheeks a light tint of pink.

Ben flashed him a tiny smile as he whisked them to the android’s home. There were no decorations hung up here either. The lieutenant’s car sat rusted and buried in the snow. When the two entered the home, it was deadly silent. Sumo’s food bowl was empty save for the dust collecting. There were torn empty packs of thirium everywhere on the kitchen table. A shattered photo frame laid on the floor. The living area was littered with a few piles of clothes all belonging to Connor. Gavin said nothing more and followed Ben down the hall to Hank’s room where they both found Connor curled up in bed wearing his pajamas. He was clutching Hank’s hoodie in one hand and Sumo’s collar and favorite ball in the other. Tears stained his face. His eyes were wide open with a faded look to the once bright chocolate brown. Gavin’s eyes then landed on the spot where his LED normally flashed. And it wasn’t flashing. At all. It was colorless and still.

“He deactivated himself. When Hank passed, he fell into his own depression and barely left the house. His friends tried to console him, but he ended up pushing them away. One day he just couldn’t take it and offed himself. He wanted to do a lot of things before Hank died. He wanted to ask Hank for advice on how to win you over before he decided to give up on you. He wanted to make you and Hank happy. When he couldn’t make you happy, that’s when he gave up and focused on Hank until his last breath.” Ben answered before Gavin could even ask how.

“This shitty future happened…because of me?” Gavin shot back, feeling horribly guilty. 

Ben nodded quietly. Gavin looked back the android for a moment. It was strange to see him like this instead of his usual innocent and cheerful self. Then he thought of Elijah, lying weak on the bed instead of dancing with Chloe or pestering him during his birthday or thanksgiving. Then he thought of himself, living on the streets high off of red ice and eventually being buried in the ground at such a young age. He could have been happy then, but his bad choices led him to an early grave. He lost a lot of people in his life because he pushed them away. A soft sigh echoed in the room as Gavin turned to Ben. Out in the hall, the sound of a door opening, and shutting could be heard followed by a few voices calling out Connor’s name.

“Do you want to go back, Gavin?”

Gavin nodded quickly and was whisked way as the door to Connor’s room opened. He awoke with a start when he returned. Had he been dreaming? He must have. He looked over to the clock on his side table telling him it was now early in the morning. Then he remembered that tomorrow night was the DPD office party. Making up his mind he decided if he was going to prevent what he saw in the future, that he should start now. Wasting no more time, he quickly ate breakfast, had his coffee, changed into some winter wear, and left to go shopping. Much to his luck, most of the stores were still open and the lines were short. He arrived after 12pm and finished wrapping by 12:30. Then he remembered Kamski’s present and went over to the closet where he found them piled in the back. A fond smile suddenly tugged at the corners of his mouth as he sat down and pulled them out of the closet. He then opened them. Some were funny mugs, and some were clothes. Some were music albums. There was even a bunch of cat things for his cats. Once he finished those, he made up his mind to visit Elijah. Before he knew it, he was standing outside his door with a few presents in his hand. He had decided to get Chloe something too as a way of saying sorry to her as he had often blamed her for his brother leaving. Nervously, he rang the bell and waited for an answer. The door then opened a moment later and Chloe greeted him.

“Hello, Gavin. It’s nice to see you. Are you here to see Elijah?” she asked sweetly.

Gavin nodded awkwardly and followed Chloe as she led him to the living area. She then excused herself and went to get Elijah. From where stood he could hear his twin complaining for a moment before she told him it was someone important. Then, after a few moments, Elijah himself finally appeared before him in his simple Christmas sweater. His eyes flew wide open as he caught sight of his younger brother.

“Gavin! It’s been so long, little brother!” he exclaimed as he approached him.

“Y-Yeah. Sorry I pushed you away for so long. I thought you still hated my sorry ass.” Gavin answered awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck out of nervousness.

“To be honest, I thought _I_ was pushing _you_ away. But none of that matters now. You’re here and that makes me happy.”

Before Gavin could say anything more, Elijah threw his arms around him and pulled him into a hug. The detective tensed up for a moment before hugging back, a smile now tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Oh, uh, thank you for the gifts by the way. I’m sorry didn’t open them sooner.” Gavin said as he pulled back from the hug.

“I’m just happy you received them.” Elijah replied, smiling warmly.

“Right, I uh, also got something for you and Chloe. I wasn’t sure what she liked but I hope it’s enough to make up for everything. Sorry if it’s shitty, it was kind of a last-minute thing.”

He then handed Elijah a flat and slightly heavy box.

“That’s alright, little brother. It’s the thought that counts. And yes, I think it makes up for everything. Especially now that you’re here. Anyway, Chloe! Come here, Gavin got you a present, dear.”

The RT600 that had been standing patiently off to the side happily skipped over, and Gavin handed her, her present.

“Oh! Thank you!” she said happily, admiring the wrapping paper.

Gavin tipped his head in response as Chloe tore through the paper. She then let out a sound of delight as she opened the box to find a few things for hair styling. There was a comb, a brush, a set of multi-colored hair ties that had little bobbles on it, and three different headbands with big colorful bows on them. Elijah had noted in one of the cards that came with Gavin’s gifts about Chloe’s new hobby of styling her hair.

“I love it! Thank you, Gavin!” she exclaimed happily as she threw her arms around him without warning.

Gavin smiled and hugged her back then let her go to enjoy her new gift. He then turned to Elijah who had just finished opening his gift. A fond smile found its way onto the creator’s face.

“You still remember the gingerbread houses we used to make?” he asked, looking up at him.

“Y-Yeah. I have some time to kill. You wanna build them then tear them apart like we used to?” Gavin asked, face flushed.

Elijah chuckled and nodded. An hour later found them in Elijah’s kitchen covered in frosting and candy as they finished up decorating the gingerbread house. Chloe had joined in too and was munching on the leftover candy. Laughter then filled the room as the two brothers went in to destroy it. Chloe giggled and watched from where she was perched on the stool on the opposite side of the kitchen island. With that done, the two began eating the ruined house as they chatted.

“I missed this. I missed us.” Elijah said, finishing another piece of gingerbread.

“I missed it too.” Gavin answered.

“So, what changed your mind?”

Gavin thought back to everything he had seen then smiled.

“Oh, just some weird ass dream I had.”

Elijah wrinkled his nose in confusion but said nothing more. After spending another of talking and cleaning up, Gavin said his goodbyes to Elijah and Chloe then headed home. For some odd reason, he was more excited than nervous about going to the party tomorrow. The next morning, Gavin spent some time wrapping up the rest of the presents he bought then began packing up a Ziploc bag full of mini candy canes. It was noon by the time he had finished. He spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready even though he didn’t need that much time. By 7pm he was out of the house and in the parking lot of the DPD. Taking a deep breath, he checked his sweater, a red and green one with drunk reindeers all over it, then grabbed his gifts and candy and walked into the precinct. As he entered, a few eyes landed on him. Some were surprised while some greeted him with a smile.

“Gavin! You came!” Connor chimed in as he weaved through a few people to meet him.

“Yep.” he replied, feeling a bit awkward as he set the candy down on a nearby table.

“I thought you said- “

“I know but, I thought about it and decided to give it a chance.”

That wasn’t a whole lie. He did spend some time mulling over it in the morning.

“Oh! That’s good.”

Connor then flashed adorable dorky smile of his, and Gavin couldn’t help but look him over. The android was wearing his own ugly sweater which had cartoon dogs all over it. On his head was a matching Christmas hat with floppy dog ears.

“Reed? I thought you weren’t showing up?” Hank said, breaking him out of his thoughts.

“Had a change of mind. So, why not?” Gavin shrugged, feeling more awkward.

“What’s that?” Hank asked, pointing to the gifts under his arms.

“Oh. Right. Ok, I feel shitty now for what I did to you and Connor so I’m trying to make up for it. And I’m sorry I tried to throw a stapler at him the other day.” the detective muttered, face flushing again in awkwardness.

“Forgiven.” Connor chimed again with a smile.

Suddenly awkward silence fell in.

“Hank. Come on, he’s trying.” came Connor’s voice as he persuaded the lieutenant.

“Fine. Whaddya got, Reed?” Hank asked, giving in.

With a red face, Gavin handed the pair their gifts.

“It’s a little shitty, I know.” He mumbled.

“I’m sure it’s fine, Gavin.” Connor assured him, doe eyes looking into his.

Gavin turned even redder and quickly averted his gaze as the two tore into their presents. A soft chuckle came from Hank while Connor let out a delighted squeal.

“Wow. How the hell did you find this, Reed?” Hank asked, examining the _Lord of The Rings_ boxed set he received.

Ever since the movies all came out, boxed sets were made and sold. It sold out pretty fast before Hank could get his hands on one. The only one that knew about that problem was Gavin. They had bonded over their love of the movie during Gavin’s time as a rookie.

“It’s…my copy actually.” Gavin mumbled, bashfully.

He was all sorts of awkward right now as Hank flashed him a touched smile.

“Holy shit. You didn’t have to do that. But thank you, anyway.” Hank replied, knowing how awkward the detective was feeling.

Gavin offered a sheepish smile.

“Hank, look! It’s a stuffed dwarf gourami and a mini Sumo!” Connor cut in, holding up the new plushies he got.

The fish plushie was the size of his head while the dog plush was the size of his hand.

“Adorable.” Hank replied with a smile as he watched the android hug his new plushies.

“I love them! Thank you so much, Gavin!”

Connor beamed impossibly even brighter making Gavin practically melt on in the inside.

“Uh, You’re welcome.”

Connor let out a giggle, gave Gavin a hug without warning and walked away to show off his new gift. Gavin somehow managed to turn even redder at that, making Hank chuckle.

“What? Android got your tongue?” the lieutenant teased.

“Shut up, Anderson.” Gavin bit back though it held no malice this time.

Hank laughed and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Listen, go make a move on him already.”

“W-What?!” Gavin sputtered.

“You heard me.”

“You sure you’re not drunk?”

Hank laughed again with a playful roll of his eyes.

“If I were, Connor woulda dragged my ass home by now.” he answered.

“Wait, so you’re serious? How did you even know?”

“I know lovesick when I see it, Reed.”

“And you’re not gonna give me the shovel talk? No, ‘I’ll kill you if you hurt him’ or anything?” Gavin asked, crossing his arms.

Hank shook his headed with a smile.

“I’m pretty sure you don’t need to hear it twice. I may hate your annoying ass sometimes but your still my friend. Besides, I don’t think Connor has to worry about you hurting him. Need I remind you of the archive incident?” he answered.

Gavin groaned.

“He told you about that?”

“Oh yeah. Now go get him already.”

Gavin rolled his eyes playfully and left Hank to search for Connor. He spotted him walking into the breakfast with his stuffed toys. Wasting no time, he weaved through the crowd and made his way over there. Just as he was about to go through the doorway, Connor met him there with the same dorky smile he’d been wearing all night.

“Oh hi, Gavin!” he greeted, his fish plushies tucked safely under one arm and the Sumo plushie tucked in his sweater pocket.

“Hey, dipshit.”

“Are you ok? Your face is all red.”

Gavin blinked as Connor leaned a bit close to him.

“Huh? Y-Yeah. I’m fine” the detective answered, averting his gaze and looking up.

And that’s when he saw it hanging up there. What a coincidence that the two of them happened to be caught under it. Connor was about to ask again when he noticed Gavin staring up and followed his gaze. His head tilted to the side in confusion.

“Gavin? What’s that?” the android asked.

“M-Mistletoe.” Gavin answered, feeling his cheeks heat up more.

“Mistletoe? Is it supposed to be special?”

Gavin could only nod awkwardly. He then looked up to see Connor’s face dusted with a bright shade of blue.

“You looked it up, didn’t you, tin can?”

Connor turned bluer and nodded with a bashful smile

“S-So can w- “

But, before Connor can finishing asking, Gavin pulled him close and kissed him. The android melted into the kiss. Behind them, the whole precinct filled with cheers and awws. They then pulled back and stared at each other for a moment.

“Well, how was that for a first kiss?” Gavin asked with a smirk.

Connor, now speechless, buried his blue face in the detective’s shoulder.

“I-I liked it.” the android mumbled, his LED flashing yellow for a moment before going back to blue.

Gavin chuckled and pressed one more kiss to his forehead.

“Can we do it again?” Connor asked, looking up at him.

Before Gavin could answer, a shout came from inside the breakroom.

“Hey! Quit hogging the fucking mistletoe, you gay bitches!” came Tina’s voice.

She broke through the small crowd and dragged her girlfriend, a strawberry blonde with red lipstick, behind her.

“Congrats, you two. Now, move it!” she slurred.

Yup. She was drunk off her ass. Again.

Gavin chuckled and led Connor away so that the two could have their moment. They made their way back to Hank, who was hanging out by his desk with Chris and Ben.

“So, how was it, Gav?” Hank asked.

Gavin motioned to the android now clinging on him like a koala. Hank chuckled in response and ruffled both their hair while the two other officers tipped their heads in congratulation. For the rest of the evening, Gavin and Connor stuck together and hung around with Hank. For the first time in several years, Gavin was happily enjoying himself, and no one was here to stop him or ruin it. He had never laughed and smiled so much until today. He enjoyed stealing kisses from Connor and watching Tina attempt to dance with her girlfriend in a drunken stupor. When the party was over, and the precinct was being cleaned up, Gavin was about to leave when Connor approached him, the plushie still in his arms.

“Gavin? Are you doing anything else tonight?” Connor asked, fiddling with the fins of the fish plush.

“No, why?”

“U-Um…”

Connor turned to look at Hank, who subtly encouraged him. The android then turned back to the detective.

“I w-was wondering if you wanted to spend the night at our house for Christmas. U-Uh, you don’t have to! I was just…um…”

For the second time that night, Connor turned blue. Gavin smiled and pressed kiss on his lips.

“Sure, why not?” Gavin answered.

Connor perked up and planted a kiss on Gavin’s cheek. Later that evening saw the two of them curled up in Connor’s room. The next morning, Connor had been up first and practically screamed with excitement as he woke up the whole house and possibly the whole neighborhood. After breakfast, presents were exchanged and the whole living room was a mess as Sumo tore up the wrapping paper and turned them into his new toys. Connor had received a few albums from Hank as well as some more clothes. In return, Hank got a big bottle of his favorite alcohol. Of course, he was made to promise to drink moderately. As for Gavin, he received a cat mug and a beanie with cat ears from Connor. From Hank he received a box of his favorite coffee which was perfect timing on the lieutenant’s part because he was running out of coffee at home. With gifts done, the three hung out on the couch watching Hallmark Christmas movies. Connor curled up against Gavin while Hank was stuck with Sumo. Then halfway through the third Hallmark movie, Connor looked up at Gavin.

“Gavin?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Merry Christmas. I love you.”

Gavin smiled and pecked his nose making the other giggle.

“Merry Christmas. Love you too, Connor.”


End file.
